City Join Forces With Leicester’s Sports Clubs On United Leicester Health Programme
- United Leicester, which was launched this week, aims to improve children’s health and lifestyle using sport
- Leicester City defender Christian Fuchs helped deliver the football activity at the Leicester Riders’ Morningside Arena
- United Leicester brings together four of Leicester’s professional sporting clubs; Leicester City, Leicester Riders, Leicester Tigers and Leicestershire County Cricket Club
- Children in Leicester have a higher than average national rate of type 2 diabetes, inactivity and childhood obesity
Players and coaches from each of the city's four professional clubs, Leicester City, Leicester Riders, Leicester Tigers and Leicestershire County Cricket Club, were on hand to get the children active in sport activities and highlight the positive benefit of a healthy lifestyle.
Funded by the PL PFA and supported by Leicester Hockey, United Leicester aims to improve children’s health and lifestyle using sport by delivering a 30-week programme, which will involve coaching from four community charities involved in the project.
Foxes defender Christian Fuchs was present at the launch and discussed the positive impact made by United Leicester: “The name speaks for itself. The top clubs in Leicester are trying to promote a healthy lifestyle.
“You do not want to have your child at home in front of the TV, you want them outside having a kick-about with friends, enjoying sports and enjoying being active.”
Childhood physical inactivity and obesity are present in higher levels in the city of Leicester compared to other parts of the UK.
Partners from the Leicester Diabetes Centre, based at the city's general hospital will develop, deliver and evaluate a school-based healthy lifestyles programme.
Matt Bray, Community Manager at Leicester City in the Community, said: “The project uses coaches from each club to inspire the next generation of pupils, as well as providing workshops for parents and guardians, to increase their awareness of the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle and the consequences of inactivity.”
The project supports Leicester City Council’s Active Leicester’s aim of getting 20,000 people more active and the long-term goal of Cities Changing Diabetes of reducing levels of urban type 2 diabetes.
Deirdre Harrington, Lecturer from the University of Leicester, believes the ‘united’ approach will help meet this target.
“It is really unique to see top-flight sports clubs working in collaboration to improve health of city residents,” she said. “We know risk factors for poor health are higher in the city.
“Working with the teams and the City Council on United Leicester will give a great insight in what can happen in schools and communities.”
The elite sports clubs have already committed to signing a city-wide ‘diabetes pledge’ and will support the Leicester City Council health agenda, supported by Leicester Changing Diabetes, as part of the Cities Changing Diabetes global initiative.